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Friday, June 29, 2012

One Month

Oh my! I cannot believe my baby boy is already ONE MONTH old!! Where does the time go? This experience has been the most amazing time of my life and I can't wait to see where our lives go from here. 


Like I predicted, Michael didn't come on his own... We were induced on Tuesday, May 29th at 7 in the morning. After 12 hours of labor, I ended up having an emergency C-Section due to Michael's heartbeat. Michael was born at 8:13 pm weighing 7 pounds 13 ounces and measuring 19 1/2 inches long. When he was delivered they realized he was facing forward with the cord wrapped around him, so his head was stuck in my pelvic bone... which is why he never came on his own! I knew my baby boy wasn't stubborn, just in the wrong position! 

The entire birthing process was an amazing experience and I'll never forget the moment I heard him cry for the first time. As soon as they showed me his beautiful face, I knew the word "No" was no longer in my vocabulary... This little boy has me wrapped around his finger so tight! 

Since we've come home, it's been one heck of a roller coaster ride! We've transitioned from him sleeping in a cradle in our room, to the Nap Nanny in our room, to him sleeping in his crib in HIS room! :) We've gone from feeding every 2-3 hours to every 3-4 and sometimes a little longer at night. However, one thing we struggled with, was his bed time... For the first 3 weeks, Michael would not go to sleep before 11 o'clock. It didn't matter what we did, he would be asleep and the second I would feed him, he would be bright eyed and wide awake! We began to implement a routine at night and things have become way easier! 

Now, we're a month into this and things are running very smooth! We have some what of a schedule and it's working great for all of us! We start our day around 9 o'clock, because little man likes to sleep in, then we play and have tummy time! He usually takes a nap around 11 and wakes up around 12 for another feeding. Usually from 12-3 he's wide awake! This is always the time when I want to take a nap, but he never even acts sleepy! We feed again at 3 and 6, each followed by an hour or so of play time and an hour or so of nap time. Around 8:30/9 it's bath time! I read a girl's blog each week and she recommended giving a bath each night. She said it soothed her baby to sleep, so I thought, why not?!? So now, we give Michael a bath every night and he LOVES it! He can be so grumpy and the second he hears that bath water running, his eyes pop open and he's as calm as a clam! After bath time we feed and then have story time. As soon as I read him his story, we say our prayers and I lay him down in his crib. He usually falls asleep by 9:30 and then wakes up around 2 or 3 to eat again. From there, things get a little shaky depending on his mood, but around 9 in the morning, our routine starts again! I'd say for him being a month old, this schedule isn't too bad! 

In this first month, he's already working so hard to hold his head up, he already straightens out his legs to stand on them and his eyes are becoming more and more focused each day. He never cries unless he's hungry or has a dirty diaper and he loves to hang out with dad and watch the Yankees. He also likes to sleep with socks on and if I forget to put them on him, he fusses until they're on! Last Saturday I weighed him at Baby Earth and he weighed in at 9 pounds 11 ounces! Wow, has my baby grown!! 

When I look at Michael my heart melts. I've always heard that having a child is an indescribable feeling, and I must say it's true.... There is absolutely nothing I wouldn't do for this little boy.


Tuesday, May 22, 2012

40 Weeks


Holy Cow, how did I make it this far?!? I thought for sure I would have my baby boy here by now, but nope... he's still holding on tight! After last weeks appointment I just knew he would come. I was having contractions and I didn't feel well at all... Little did I know, I would still be pregnant a week later! We went to our 40 week check up today and our doctor was surprised to see us, even she thought he would be here by now!!! She went ahead and scheduled us to be induced next Tuesday, but she doesn't think I'll make it until then. Although I do not want to be induced, knowing that there is an end in sight, really makes me feel better. However, I'm really hoping Michael will come on his own and we'll get to experience the thrill of rushing to the hospital and all the excitement that comes with that! Today was also my last day of work until next year :) If Michael doesn't come in the next couple of days, I'm looking forward to relaxing, catching up on tv, and reading my new book... Who knows when I'll be able to do these things again?!?!?!

Oh, and the most exciting thing about posting this blog, is knowing that next time I post a picture, my little man will be here!!!! YYYYYYAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!


How far along? 40 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: I was at 19 today... so we're just going to say I gained 20 pounds during this pregnancy
Maternity clothes? a few and I'm so excited to not wear that belly band again!!!! even though I know it will be a while after he comes
Stretch Marks? Nope
Sleep: rarely... I continue to become very uncomfortable in the night and nothing makes it better. Usually when I lay on my back (for a few minutes) I feel better, but now my back is beginning to hurt terribly.
Best moment this week: getting our recliner and ottoman in for Michael's room!! I was so excited to receive that phone call, because I thought Michael might beat it here! 
Miss Anything? not this week
Movement: yep 
Food cravings: COOKIE CAKE!!!! someone posted a picture of one on facebook the other day and now I can't think about anything else!! haha
Anything making you queasy or sick: nope, but the other night I was cooking turkey burgers and they kinda made me queasy.... I got over that real quick!
Gender: Baby Boy 
Pregnancy Symptoms: cramping and contractions here and there. I've had a few "big" contractions and we think it might be time, but then nothing happens... so we'll see
Belly Button in or out? Out 
Wedding rings on or off? On.. I will definitely be rockin' my ring during my delivery!
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy Happy and ANXIOUS!
Looking forward to: meeting my little man.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

39 Weeks


Better late than never...



Secondly, sorry this is so late! We've been really busy and honestly, I was secretly hoping Michael would come early in the week, so I could post pictures of him! haha! We had our weekly doctor's appointment on Wednesday and we started off with an ultrasound to check out Michael's measurements.. He had been measuring two weeks late, so we wanted to make sure he was still growing and what not.... Well come to find out, we have a healthy baby boy on our hands! He's estimated at 7 pounds 12 ounces, so he is right on track! They did say he could be less than that, but they also told me that I "hide a baby well" :) During my exam my doctor decided to "help speed up the process" by stripping my membranes... can you say OWWWW! I have never felt so much pain in my life! But, it's supposed to help naturally induce, so we'll see if that works! I am beginning to feel more and more contractions and they are getting stronger, but they're not consistent enough. Hopefully we will not make it to our 40 week appointment next week, because we'll have a baby! 

How far along? 39 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: I finally went over 20... I'm at 21 pounds.
Maternity clothes? a few
Stretch Marks? Nope... 
Sleep: lately I've been sleeping like a rock, I think it's because I'm so exhausted
Best moment this week: my birthday and Mother's Day! Also, getting to see our baby boy on an ultrasound yesterday was great :) he's got some chunky cheeks!
Miss Anything? having control over my body... I've absolutely loved being pregnant, but I'm definitely ready to have my body back and hold my baby boy from the outside! :)
Movement: yep 
Food cravings: everything
Anything making you queasy or sick: nope
Gender: Baby Boy 
Pregnancy Symptoms: lots of contractions and back pain
Belly Button in or out? Out 
Wedding rings on or off? On.. However, the other day at church I thought this might not happen again! My hands were so swollen that I almost couldn't get my ring off!
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and ANXIOUS!
Looking forward to: Michael being here... the fact that it could be any day, makes me so anxious and I can't wait to see him and meet him for the first time. 

We got our maternity pictures in today and I absolutely LOVE them!! Our great friend Jona, from Forever Photography Studio, took them and I couldn't be more excited to share some of my favorites!!







Wednesday, May 9, 2012

38 Weeks... Woah Mama!!


Or at least he's supposed to be the size of a pumpkin...

I cannot believe we are TWO weeks away from my due date! (14 days... WOW!) Brandon says, "Where has the time gone?" and I say, "I feel like I've been pregnant forever!" This week I had my first appointment with the new doctor and it went well. He's extremely nice and I'm not sure why I freaked out about it to begin with. He did tell me that I'm FINALLY a centimeter dilated, but everything else is the same. Michael is however measuring at 36 weeks still, so the doctor wants to do an ultrasound next week to make sure he's still growing. I know he's perfectly perfect in every way, so I know everything is going to be just fine. He just might be tucked into a nice position where we cannot get his full measurement... right?!? I also found out that I've been having contractions and I didn't even know it! Of course they're not anything to worry about at the moment, but I didn't even know I was having them to begin with! When the nurse was checking Michael's heart rate, she told me I was having one and I had no clue! oops! 

How far along? 38 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 19 pounds again.... I wonder if I'll go this entire pregnancy and never reach 20??
Maternity clothes? a few
Stretch Marks? Nope... 
Sleep: sleep is sleep, extremely uncomfortable, but trying to get as much of it as I can
Best moment this week: Finding out that I'm finally dilated!!! Woohoo! It's also Teacher Appreciation Week, so receiving various "goodies" from my kids has been really nice... Hearing that they still like me even though I'm "mean" makes me it even better! ha! 
Miss Anything? the ability to sit down without a butt or leg in my ribs... every time I sit, he wedges something in there! 
Movement: yep yep
Food cravings: everything
Anything making you queasy or sick: nope
Gender: Baby Boy 
Pregnancy Symptoms: tons of pressure and braxton hicks... I just keep waiting for the real deal!
Belly Button in or out? Out 
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and ANXIOUS!
Looking forward to: Dana's wedding this weekend, my birthday and Mother's Day on Sunday, and spending it all with family!!! I'm still hoping I'll wake up each day and it will be "The Day" though....

Thursday, May 3, 2012

37 Weeks

Wow, I cannot believe it's May! The month we've been waiting for is finally here and with it's arrival, comes many new emotions. I've become extremely anxious and each day I wake up hoping it's the big day! The thought of having my little man in my arms in less than a month, makes me so excited, I can barely control myself. Usually when I think about my labor, I don't freak out... However, I've started to panic about it. The idea of not knowing what's going to happen or when it's going to happen, freaks me out! I'm a total control freak and for once, I have no control! This brings a little bit of anxiety! My due date is twenty days from today, but believe me, I'm hoping he'll come early!! I've even started bouncing on a yoga ball, just to help him out! ha! Brandon and I were discussing his arrival earlier and we cannot believe it's going to happen so soon... Brandon is so excited about meeting his son and he is definitely making sure I'm ready to go when it happens! He's making sure I pack my bags TONIGHT and he's putting the car seat in tonight... Needless to say, he might be a little more anxious than I am! 

My doctor's appointment on Tuesday went well, but I'm still not dilated! HOWEVER, she did say that he is extremely low and had dropped a ton in the past week. She also said that's why I'm having a ton of pain in my pelvic area. 

Our air conditioner went out today... AGAIN! This is the 3rd day this week 
and I'm not happy about it... Please excuse the red cheeks, it's stinkin hot!


How far along? 37 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 18 pounds <--- Who knew you could lose a pound when you're preggo! 
Maternity clothes? a few
Stretch Marks? Nope... I pray everyday that one doesn't pop up in my last couple of weeks :)
Sleep: sleep is sleep, I treasure every moment of it...before it's gone!
Best moment this week: I enjoyed having Brandon home this weekend and getting to spend a lot of extra time with him before Michael comes. Also, two of our good friends had their babies this week! Ashlynn was born last Thursday and Mitchell was born today! Hopefully, Michael will want to hurry and meet his new friends! ha
Miss Anything? right now I'm missing all my cute summer dresses, tops, and shorts! I refuse to buy any more maternity clothes, but jeez, it's HOT!
Movement: yep, all the time! It looks like an alien is in me sometimes
Food cravings: food in general
Anything making you queasy or sick: nope
Gender: Baby Boy 
Pregnancy Symptoms: still tons of pressure, but other than that, we're great!
Belly Button in or out? Out 
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and ANXIOUS!
Looking forward to: Michael's arrival... I know we have a little less than 3 weeks until my due date, but let's be real, he could come any moment!!! I also think about my water breaking every time I'm in a horrible situation... Like Tuesday when I was stuck in traffic for 1 1/2 hours! How terrible would it be if it broke then!! YIKES!

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

36 Weeks



Our doctor's appointment went well yesterday. Michael is still measuring at 35 weeks, so now he's measuring a week late, but his head is down, so he must be ready! This week started our weekly appointments, so it's getting close and we can't wait! Although I would love him here today, I want him to "cook" in me as long as he needs to so I can have a healthy baby boy when he gets here! However, I do give him pep-talks telling him it's okay to come out whenever! ha!

How far along? 36 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 19 pounds
Maternity clothes? a few
Stretch Marks? Nope :)
Sleep: sleep is going okay, I'm trying to get as much as I can now before Michael comes
Best moment this week: This past weekend we went and got the rest of the things we need before Michael comes and we finally got his pack-n-play bassinet ready, so now we just need our little man!
Miss Anything? after state testing for my kids these past two days, I could really use a margarita or ice cold beer :) but it will come in good time....
Movement: oh yes... the nurse at our dr's office said, "He's very active!" 
Food cravings: food in general
Anything making you queasy or sick: this past weekend random things were making me nauseas, but it didn't last long... thank God!
Gender: Baby Boy 
Pregnancy Symptoms: still waddling and just feeling exhausted all the time... all of this can only mean one thing, it's getting close!
Belly Button in or out? Out 
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and Tired
Looking forward to: Brandon's softball tournament and our friends annual crawfish boil this weekend! Although I will not be eating any crawfish this year, because the thought of it makes me sick, I can't wait to see all of our friends and have a good time! 

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

35 Weeks


How far along? 35 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: probably 20 pounds now, but I'm not sure... however I feel like my belly looks the same as it did weeks ago. 
Maternity clothes? a few
Stretch Marks? Nope :)
Sleep: sleep is still hard for me at this point.. I still find myself waking up to use the restroom or reposition my body (which is not fun)
Best moment this week: I had a really good time at my shower this weekend! I loved seeing everyone there and Michael was blessed with so many incredible gifts! We also received 46 books at his shower! He is definitely going to be a phenomenol reader :) On top of that, we took our maternity pictures on Monday and we had so much fun! There's a sneak peek at the bottom of this blog :)
Miss Anything? not this week...
Movement: Yea, he loves to play in my ribs
Food cravings: cereal and everything else under the sun
Anything making you queasy or sick: nope
Gender: Baby Boy 
Pregnancy Symptoms: Still TONS of pressure towards the bottom of my belly and now I'm having problems with my pelvic bone. I'm definitely waddling now, due to the pain in my pelvis; however, it gets really painful at night. Brandon told me I'm not allowed to go on bed rest, which is great because I absolutely do not want that to happen, but I would also love to walk without hurting... I looked up this pain and they say it's due to the baby dropping and the pelvic bone expanding, so I guess it's all getting ready for birth! (That makes me excited!)
Belly Button in or out? Out 
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy Happy
Looking forward to: this weekend! Brandon and I have NO plans this weekend and we're super excited! However, I just remembered I have a prenatal massage... so that makes it even better!!!! We are hoping to get a few things done however... like, purchasing items we still need off of our registry,  packing our hospital bag (or getting it started), we might possibly get Michael a coming home outfit, and hopefully we'll get to spend some time with friends!

Here's a sneak peek of our maternity pictures. Our good friend Jona, from Forever Photography Studio, took our pictures and I know they are going to be absolutely amazing!! I can't wait to see them all!